He Stopped Loving Her Today
by dressregina
Summary: Sequel to 'Sweet Dreams.' This one's about Albus. Many thanks to the reviewer who put this one into my head...you know who you are!


Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and the song was recorded by George Jones.  
  
A/N: This is the sequel to "Sweet Dreams"  
  
Warning: Grab tissues  
  
He said "I'll love you till I die",  
  
she told him "You'll forget in time"  
  
As the years went slowly by,  
  
She still preyed upon his mind  
  
Minerva McGonagall walked into the silent Transfiguration classroom. She had just graduated from Hogwart's, and should have been setting off to seize the world, but instead she was here...back in her old classroom. Albus turned around at the sound of his classroom door opening, his puffy blue eyes met her determined gray ones.  
  
"Minerva," he breathed too astonished to exclaim.  
  
"I'm back," she said as tears rolled down her cheeks.  
  
"You're back," he repeated quietly, as he struggled to his feet.  
  
She merely nodded in response.  
  
"You've returned to me," he said stepping closer to her.  
  
A deep inhalation served as his answer.  
  
"You love me," he said pulling her into his arms, as a smile broke out across his face.  
  
"Indeed," she squealed as he spun her around.  
  
He stopped abruptly and kissed her passionately.  
  
"I'll love you until the day that I die," he said looking deeply into her eyes, and relaxing his grasp on her waist.  
  
"Albus Dumbledore! Don't make promises that you don't intend to keep!" she scolded, slapping him playfully on the chest, as tears continued to cascade down her back.  
  
"Ah, but I do intend to keep this promise, my dear," he said sincerely before kissing her again.  
  
Albus Dumbledore awoke with a start. He'd had yet another dream about her...the love of his life...Minerva McGonagall. It had been decades since he had pushed her away, and yet every night he still dreamed of her. He still loved her. He had always loved her, and had never stopped loving her.  
  
He kept her picture on his wall,  
  
went half-crazy now and then  
  
He still loved her through it all,  
  
Hoping she'd come back again  
  
Knowing that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep he put on his glasses and turned on the light. Reaching into the drawer of his bedside table he frowned deeply as he caught sight of the picture of Minerva and him. He instinctively reached up to rub the bridge of his nose, remembering the pain that that picture had caused him. Yet, the pain that he had experienced from having his nose broken had been nothing compared to the pain of letting her go. It had seemed like the noble thing to do at the time...the right thing. Now, however he realized that what he did to her...letting her go...breaking her heart had been selfish. He dumped her to ease his guilty conscience. He knew that now, and if he could go back and undo the past he would, but not even 'the great Albus Dumbledore' could mend Minerva's broken heart. Merlin, had he ever been wrong. He had thought that she would move on with her life...marry...have children. He knew that it would have broken his heart to watch her move on, but he was prepared to do just that. He was not prepared; however, to watch her become the unflappable, irascible Professor McGonagall. His heart broke to see what she had become, and to know that he had caused the transformation.  
  
Kept some letters by his bed  
  
dated nineteen sixty-two  
  
He had underlined in red  
  
Every single "I love you"  
  
Albus Dumbledore began to cry as he spread out the love letters that Minerva had written to him decades earlier. He spread the letters over his bed, while deep sobs wracked his aged body. Surveying his work through tear-filled eyes he took notice of all the times that she had told him that she loved him. He had underlined each one in red, during happier times. Now they served as a painful reminder of what he had let slip away. Suddenly, Albus Dumbledore fell silent.  
  
I went to see him just today  
  
oh but I didn't see no tears  
  
All dressed up to go away, first time  
  
I'd seen him smile in years  
  
A knock came upon the door of the Headmaster's office.  
  
"Headmaster, are you in?" asked Professor Snape. "I'd like to have a word with you about Potter's recent behavior."  
  
After a few moments Professor Snape knocked again.  
  
"Headmaster?"  
  
No response.  
  
"Headmaster?"  
  
Finally Professor Snape opened the door. Noticing that the Headmaster was not in his office Snape assumed that he was napping. He walked to the Headmaster's bedroom door and opened it cautiously. The sight that met his eyes made his heart stop. There...on the bed...lay the greatest wizard of current times amidst a sea of 'I love you' s.  
  
He stopped loving her today  
  
They placed a wreath upon his door  
  
And soon they'll carry him away  
  
He stopped loving her today  
  
Serverus Snape knocked on the door of the newly appointed Headmistress' rooms. He knew that she had been informed of the Headmaster's death. In fact, it had been McGonagall who had informed the students of his death. She had been a pillar of strength for them all to lean on...as usual. Unfortunately, he had been saddled with the task of presenting this pillar of strength with the Headmaster's love letters. A task which he was not thrilled about having received.  
  
The door swung open to reveal Minerva McGonagall as Serverus had never seen her before. Her eyes were devoid of feeling, her skin blotchy and pale, and she looked as if she had been crying.  
  
"Good Evening, Serverus," she said straightening her back...a vain attempt to cover up her pain and suffering. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"I came to present you with these," he said, as he handed her the letters.  
  
"Thank you, Serverus," she replied indifferently, attempting to keep the fear out of her eyes.  
  
You know,  
  
She came to see him one last time.  
  
Aww, 'n' we all wondered if she would.  
  
And it kept running through my mind  
  
"this time he's over her for good."  
  
Minerva attended his funeral. She knew that she would not be able to live with herself if she didn't go. Besides it would have only drawn attention to her. They had worked together for forty-one years. Everyone expected her to be at his funeral. It crossed her mind that the only people who wouldn't have expected her to attend the funeral were those that had read her letters to him...those that had found his body. They knew that they had been lovers and that they no longer were. Minerva managed to maintain a stiff upper lip throughout the service, and only allowed herself to sob once she was in the safety of her rooms. And once she started she didn't stop until she was all dried up. Even then it felt as if someone had carefully cut a hole in her chest, and removed her heart. She had thought that she had lost the ability to feel decades ago when he told her that she had never loved her. Now, she realized how very wrong she had been. Once again he had taught her how to feel...how to love.  
  
He stopped loving her today  
  
They placed a wreath upon his door  
  
And soon they'll carry him away  
  
He stopped loving her today 


End file.
